Historical timeline le coq sportif x Tour de France

1903 | Henri Desgrange

Henri Desgrange creates a cycling contest that will become one of the cultest

1929 | Maillot N°29

Le Coq Sportif creates its first cycling jersey, the No 29

1951 | le coq sportif enters in the Grande Boucle

THANKS TO ITS MODERN JERSEYS, LE COQ SPORTIF BECOMES THE OFFICIAL TOUR DE FRANCE' JERSEYS PROVIDER. A FIRST RECOGNITION FOR THE BRAND WITH THE TRIANGLE.

1953 | Louison Bobet

Louison Bobet reigns on the cycling world with Coppi in the first half of the 50s.
Popular and brave champion, he wins the first Tour de France of his career in 1953, his 6th participation. In the picture, Louison doing his first lap of honour at the Parc des Princes for the 50th anniversary of the Tour.

1961 | Jacques Anquetil & Raymond Poulidor

Forever the runner up of the Tour de France behind Jacques Anquetil in the 60s and then behind Eddy Merckx in the 70s, Poulidor "Poupou" enjoys a great popularity with the French public. He never wore the yellow jersey, failing by a handful of seconds, 14 exactly, on the summit of the Puy de Dome in 1964. He was neck and neck with Anquetil during the entire ascent only to fail at the top, in what is still nowadays a cult Tour de France duel.
Four years after his first victory, Jacques Anquetil takes part to the Tour for the fourth time.
Anquetil declares that he wants to take up the challenge of wearing the yellow jersey from the first to the last phase of the contest, something he will indeed achieve.

1969 | Eddy Merckx

During the Tour de France 1969, Eddy Merckx takes cyclism to a new age after his incredible performance in the ride to Mourenx. He is already the leader of the Tour by far, the Belgian rider, also nicknamed "The Cannibal", affords himself a solo break away over 140 km to win with 8 minutes over his challengers. He wins the first of his five Tour de France.

1975 | Bernard Thévenet

Amazing climber, he remains in the history of cycling as the one who won over Eddy Merckx in the Pra Loup stage during the 1975 Tour which saw ""The Cannibal""swaying for the first time.
Bernard Thévenet won two Tour de France,and was also the winner of the critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in both 1975 and 1976.

1979 | Bernard Hinault

Winner of 5 editions of the Tour de France (1978-1979-1981-1982 et 1985), Bernard Hinault is without a doubt one of the best French cyclists there ever was. This picture depicts the 4 first yellow jersey won by the one nicknamed "the badger". He wins his 5th and last Tour in 1985. Bernard Hinault is to this day the last French cyclist to have won the Tour de France.

1984 | Laurent Fignon

His perfect team mate on the 1983 Vuelta, he takes advantage of Bernard Hinault's injuries to show his fantastic phyiscal condition during the Tour de France which he will win in 1983 and 1984.
Here winner of the stage between L'Alpe d'Huez and La Plagne.

1986 | Greg Lemond

His career was filled with great victories and he was the first American to win the Grande Boucle, and so 3 times: 1986, 1989 and 1990.

1988 | Pedro Delgado

During his first victory on the Tour in 1986, Bernard Hinault is his team mate but also his greatest opponent with the two men finishing at the top of the ranking. On this stage leading to the Alpe d'Huez, the two men lose their adversaries and arrive hand in hand to the top.

2012 | le coq sportif is back in the Grande Boucle

Le coq sportif becomes once again the official Tour de France equipment provider, producing all the leaders' jerseys: the yellow jersey, polka dots, green and white.